


Tunneling Above the Ground

by MaskofCognito



Series: Burrowing Underneath Rock and Soil [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternative Nano Challenge, Bantering, Discovered, Fluff, Hiding, Hope, Hopeful Ending, M/M, One Shot, Post-War, Sequel, Short, Stand Alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-16
Updated: 2019-11-16
Packaged: 2021-02-07 16:44:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21461248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaskofCognito/pseuds/MaskofCognito
Summary: After Harry Potter shows up in Draco's new hidden house, Draco needs to figure out how to keep Potter quiet.This short is a sequel toBurrowing Underneath Rock and Soil, but can be read as a stand-alone.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Series: Burrowing Underneath Rock and Soil [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1547080
Kudos: 37





	Tunneling Above the Ground

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: Hope
> 
> If you've not read the prequel to this sequel, you can find it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21402319). While it's not necessary to read first, it should clear up any misunderstandings.

Draco opens his eyes to see Harry Potter standing before him, looking about his abode.

“Malfoy, what… is this place?” Harry asks, his face a mixture of awe and confusion. There are no windows and the interior is quite drab and dark.

Draco snorts. “What, Potter? You don’t recognize the space under your own house? Not even when  _ you _ followed  _ me _ here?”

Draco had been at a muggle bistro minutes earlier. His polyjuice disguise was slipping and he ran around the building to disapparate back home, but not before Potter found him and apparently decided to disapparate through the leftover magic Draco had left behind. 

“You’re living under Grimmauld Place?” Potter’s inflection is high and he seems astonished.

“Yes. It was the only place Aurors haven’t followed me. Until now,” Draco gestures toward Potter and lifts his body from where he’d slid down the wall just earlier. He straightens his clothes and tries to look unbothered by Potter still being in his house— and possibly about to take him to the Ministry— while he moves to his kitchen and starts a kettle for boiling water. Having run from the Ministry for so long, he doesn’t want to imagine what his punishment would be after finally being brought in five years later.

Potter looks down at himself before following Draco into the kitchen, perhaps abashed. “Oh, uh… no.”

Potter says nothing after the denial, and Draco mocks him, needing Potter to clarify. "Oh, uh… no— what?"

Potter smirks. "No, I don't work for the ministry anymore."

Draco plays a silent conversation in his head with various reactions to the news before settling on a much calmer, “If you’re not here to turn me in, then what are you here for, Potter?”

“I was just curious.”

“Curious? About what?” Draco snaps a little, the edge of being caught for curiosity’s sake not sitting well.

“The ministry has been searching for you for years. Then I pick up your pen and,” he makes a gesture with his hands to indicate at Draco, “there you are. I got curious.”

Draco rolls his eyes, “Okay. You found me. Now what?”

“I don’t know.”

“Potter, this may just be a thing for you. Something interesting to know and a secret to be a part of, but for me— this,” Draco sets his cup down and spreads his hands, “this is all I have left.” His voice croaks on the last word. He clears his throat. “So I’ll ask you again. What now?”

“I— “ Potter starts and then parrots a fish with his lips, opening and closing, while at a loss for words.

Draco pushes off the counter and returns to his office, back to the doorway. He needs a break, emotions are overwhelming him and he needs a moment to sort them out and shove them away. His eyes are watering at the thought of leaving his home— one he worked so hard on and was his last chance at some semblance of freedom. Blinking rapidly no longer works, and tears streak down his face. 

He hears the feet of a chair scrape the rough floor in the kitchen, and Draco tries to suck up the remaining moisture leaking from his face and calm his breathing. He uses his sleeve to wipe the dampness from his cheeks and clears his throat. And then, he  _ feels _ Potter behind him. Looking at him. 

“I don’t care what you do, Potter.” Draco sniffs just a bit, trying to quietly keep his nose from running like the ugly crier he is. “Just let me know when you make up your mind.”

A hand grasps his shoulder, and Draco is so startled he turns to face Potter.

“I’m sorry, Draco,” Potter starts. “I didn’t mean to mess everything up. I was just so excited to see you again and wanted the chance to talk to you.” Potter’s eyebrows were drawn together in concern, and some curly strands of hair fell in his face.

Draco flits his eyes between Potter’s trying to read his mind. Unfortunately, he was never great at legilimency. His voice terse, “Excited? Potter, we had a rivalry in school. And we were enemies in a war.” 

Potter’s tone is gentle. “We were enemies in the war because your family was too caught up in Voldemort's business. And when we were in school, we were rivals that tested each other at every turn.”

Draco scoffs and pushes Potter’s hand off him. He backs up a few steps, putting distance between them. “Testing? That’s how you call it?”

“Okay, sure. You were a ripe old arse. But life with you around was never dull. It was always interesting.” He is pleading and Draco isn’t sure he knows what Potter wants.

His face heats up, and Draco’s first response is to deny everything and change the topic, but his ire takes precedence. “I don’t care what you think is interesting. I care that I can still live in freedom.” The familiar prick in his eyes were back and he slams hand on the desk in anger.

Potter closes the gap and touches Draco’s shoulder again. “I’m not telling anyone. I don’t really know what I want to do with myself now, but turning you in isn’t one of them. Plus, I can help.”

Draco eyes him disdain. “Can you? Usually, you screw things up for me.”

Potter holds his hands up in surrender. “I’m just saying. No one would suspect you hanging out with me. So you might get away with glamours or just wearing simple disguises. And if you do get caught, I can vouch for you.”

Draco hikes one eyebrow. “Why are you so certain the Ministry would be willing to listen to you after you left them?”

“I’ve given a lot of my life over to them through the years and I took care of Voldemort. With help, and a lot of it. But I can always remind them that I was a Horcrux and they never could have done it without me.” 

Draco scoffs. “Narcissist.”

Potter smirks. “There are some benefits to being the boy who lived.” He frowns, “though usually there are more hindrances.”

“Oh, poor Mr. Potter.” He grins back at Potter and Potter lights up.

“I missed this.”

“You missed me harassing you? Are you a masochist?”

Potter laughs, but conveniently doesn’t answer. Instead, he says, “You know you can call me Harry.”

“Then, Harry, what do we do now?”

“Are you hungry, Draco?” 

“I could eat,” Draco smiles. Harry seems less irritating now they have both grown up, and while the last hour has been an emotional roller coaster, Draco feels better for it at the end.

“Then it’s a date. I’ll come back for you in ten.” Harry disapparates.

Draco’s jaw drops and he feels heat creep up from his neck to his ears as he whispers to no one, “a date?”

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't want to write for Nano and commit to 50k when I know that a) I'm not great at long story commitments, and b) my life is a bit busy. However, I didn't want to NOT write this month. So, I decided to commit to a prompt a day for the month of November of whichever fandom I enjoy which gives the prompt the most spark. I'm using [this](https://n7month.tumblr.com/post/188450175349/n7-month-challenge) prompt list I found from tumblr, in case anyone wants to reference it or join in.


End file.
